“Then our boat did not go down?” said Underhill.

“No; your men lost their sail and rudder, and drifted until they came into the current along the south coast of New Guinea.  They were picked up by a barque bound for Brisbane, and carried there.”

He gave them a rapid summary of his flight across the world.  The sudden change in their fortunes induced a readiness to find amusement in the most trifling incident, and they laughed loud and long as he retailed the little mishaps and the comic episodes of his journey.  Then Underhill in his turn related all that had happened since the wreck, and all became grave again as he told of the capture in the early morning after their night march, the wild orgy in which their captors had indulged, the elaborate preparations they had made under the direction of their sorcerer for the sacrificial rite to which their captives were destined.  But for the appearance of the aeroplane he had no doubt that within a few short hours they would have been massacred, and their skulls hung up at the entrance of the huts as signal marks of the villagers’ prowess.

“The poor wretches hate all white men,” said Underhill, “and it can hardly be wondered at.  They are recruited to labour in our plantations, and come back with ailments unknown to them until they met the white man.  They do not distinguish, and a geologist like Dr. Smith—­”

“Ah!” said the doctor anxiously; “my specimens!”

“They are safe, Father,” replied Charley.  “I saw them in your fort.  The fact that the place had not been looted gave me some hope that you were still alive.  I wonder that the islanders have not made hay of everything.”

“No doubt they deferred the performance until they had disposed of us,” said Underhill.  “But now, how do we stand?  You have saved us, but you can’t take us all off in your aeroplane.”

“A gunboat is on her way here; I passed her; she will arrive soon.”

“Hurray!” shouted the men.

“Your men are on her, Mr. Underhill,” continued Smith.  “She will probably arrive by the time we get back to the fort.”

“That is a difficulty.  We must be at least seven or eight miles from it, and the whole country is forest in which the natives may waylay us.  They have left our rifles, but practically all our ammunition is gone.”

“I have rifles and ammunition, as you see.  But the savages have had such a fright that I think they will keep out of the way of the aeroplane.  If I fly as low as possible over the trees they will hear the humming and run away, and you can steer your course by the same sound.”

“A good idea.  We’ll burn their huts and weapons, as a warning to behave better in future, and then we’ll go.”

This was done, Smith and Rodier appropriating as trophies several spears and bows and arrows, and also some of the fetish charms hung at the entrance to the huts.  The crew, having satisfied their hunger, hunted through the village for loot, and grumbled when they found nothing that they considered worthy the consideration of British sailormen.  Then Rodier took the aeroplane aloft, Smith having decided to walk with the rest, and the party set off towards the coast, marching by the guidance of the sound that descended from the tree-tops, dulled by its passage through thick layers of foliage.